


Flower Crown (Karlnap Masqurade)

by BeeIsADork



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Happy Ending, How Do I Tag, Identity Reveal, M/M, Masquerade, No Beta, One Shot, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:07:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29765607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeeIsADork/pseuds/BeeIsADork
Summary: Sapnap had taken the red and purple blossoms from all throughout the maze and woven them together into one of the most enchanting arrangements Karl had ever laid eyes on.“Something to remember me by tomorrow, eh? Since I’m guessing you aren’t going to leave me with your phone number.”“Ah my dear Sapnap, that would spoil the masquerade’s point, would it not? You’ll have to find me on your own, tragically.”--The masquerade was a one night event where everyone was a stranger, thanks to masks that would conceal their identities. This left everyone to have a night of freedom to be their true selves and find people like them.--This is basically just a karlnap oneshot where they meet in disguise and find each other later!
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), GeorgeNotFound & Karl Jacobs, Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Mentioned Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Mentioned Zak Ahmed/Darryl Noveschosch, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 123





	Flower Crown (Karlnap Masqurade)

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this at 2-4 AM then speedran the conclusion at 5 PM so please excuse any spelling or plot errors, and enjoy!

Karl doesn’t know how he ended up in the corner of this stuffy ballroom in an uncomfortable plum colored suit with a swirl patterned mask with far too much sparkles and feathers to be considered acceptable. He knew his friend George wanted to go to support his friend Nick, the crown prince of the hosting kingdom, Muffinalvania, as his dads were holding this ball to find him a suitor, but he doesn’t know how George roped him into coming.

Karl could at least be thankful that his too-fancy mask concealed his identity with some fancy magic, so at least no one knew the awkward boy in the corner was the youngest prince from the Beastarean empire. He wasn’t sure how that helped, it just made him feel better.

From his spot, he watched George glide across the dance floor under the alias ‘404’. Karl and George got ready together, so he can identify his friend from his mask and clothes, though no one else would be able to.

“Would you like a drink?” Karl was pulled out of his quiet observation by a man coming up to him, holding two drink cups, one extended towards Karl.

The man was slightly scruffy, with a five o’clock shadow lingering on his jaw. His outfit was fancy, but casually put on. He wasn’t wearing a suit jacket, instead opting to leave his shirt fairly open chested, only loosely tied closed with a pretty golden thread. He had his slightly long hair pulled back into a ponytail and his bangs fell messily over a white headband against his forehead. His mask was white and smooth, like porcelain, covering from the bridge of his nose and above. There was a delicate golden design on it that was barely visible unless caught by the light just right, and lord help him, Karl noticed it all and felt a slight blush climb onto his face and his heart skip a beat.

“Oh, um, yes, thank you…” Karl trailed off as he accepted the drink.

“Sapnap.” The man supplied.

“Thank you, Sapnap! I’m going by Jacobs tonight, not awfully creative, I’m afraid.” He looked down at his shoes with an embarrassed chuckle.

“Ah no need to be ashamed of it, may I have this dance, Jacobs?” He offered the hand not occupied with a drink.

With a soft smile, Karl took Sapnap’s offered hand and was immediately pulled against the man, only leaving them separated by a few inches. All of his senses suddenly felt heightened. He could feel his drink slosh against the cup, a few drops escaping to sprinkle onto his hand. The music that once felt boring and muted now sounded enchanting and like it was the only sound in the room. The smirk on Sapnap’s face was all he could see, everything outside of them and the music almost fell away. Sapnap let out a gentle laugh.

“No need to look so tense, Jacobs, I’m not gonna hurt ya.” He snaked his hand around Karl’s waist and tilted his head to the side to take a drink.

Sapnap led Karl onto the dance floor and Karl felt faintly aware of George’s eyes on him and saw the older boy give him a questioning look, however before he could return with a look of his own, Sapnap spun their duo across the floor and Karl’s back was suddenly to his friend. He found he didn’t mind much, letting out a giggle at the sudden movement. He saw Sapnap’s smile widen at that.

They danced across the floor and Karl felt like they were flying. He twirled them again and the world was only them. Time didn’t exist anymore, nor did space. No one and nothing else was or ever was. It was only them forever, and it was perfect.

When Karl was aware of the world once more he found himself with Sapnap in the garden maze of the palace. Sapnap gave him a smile at Karl’s confusion.

“I figured we could have some fun where we could actually breathe, the ballroom was getting so stuffy and hot.”

“Oh yeah, and it’s so pretty out here!” Karl looked at the beautifully blooming flowers surrounding them in fitting shades of red and purple. He thinks he sees a soft expression on Sapnap’s face in his peripheral vision as he watches Karl’s awestruck gazing at the plants.

“Come on,” Sapnap says quietly, taking Karl’s hand and beginning to lead him somewhere. “I want to show you somewhere pretty.”

They stroll through the maze hand-in-hand, neither deciding to let go of the other. Their drinks had been discarded somewhere, long forgotten. The two were all one another needed for the night, their two selves uniting to make a better pair.

Sapnap led Karl through a thin part in one of the maze’s walls, and behind it was a cliffside clearing with a simple marble bench. The two sat down together, finally separating their hands.

With Sapnap absentmindedly fiddling with flowers beside him, Karl truly felt at peace, just looking at the stars past the cliff and admiring the ocean crashing against the base of it. The two boys let idle chat flow, saying nothing and everything, to learn about their companion for the night. Giggles and fake gasps filled the air, the two interacting as if they had known one another for forever.

Sapnap suddenly sent Karl a look he couldn’t quite decipher and pulled something from beside him into his lap and Karl let out a gasp. It was a beautifully crafted flower crown. Sapnap had taken the red and purple blossoms from all throughout the maze and woven them together into one of the most enchanting arrangements Karl had ever laid eyes on. In reality, it wasn’t perfect and it wasn’t remarkable, but to Karl it was the best thing he had ever been given. Sapnap gently laid the crown on top of Karl’s fluffy hair and smiled.

“Something to remember me by tomorrow, eh? Since I’m guessing you aren’t going to leave me with your phone number.”

“Ah my dear Sapnap, that would spoil the masquerade’s point, would it not? You’ll have to find me on your own, tragically.” Karl used the joking words to mask his own disappointment at the rules. The masquerade was a one night event where everyone was a stranger for the night, and the next day they were themselves again, left with no identifiable traits of the ones they spent their night with. It was a phenomenally tricky event that could’ve only been thought up by King BadBoyHalo and King Skeppy, a night where everyone could be someone else to meet someone. It was something they never got the chance at.

As the two returned to their stargazing, Karl let his head fall onto Sapnap’s shoulder and the younger reciprocated by tilting his head and pressing his cheek against his soft, fluffy hair.

“You getting tired, Jacobs?”

Karl replied with a spew of incoherent words before nuzzling his face farther into Sapnap’s shoulder.

Sapnap laughed at that, nudging the taller boy.

“C’mon, Jacobs, let’s get you back home.” He stood up, letting the other rest his weight on him as he began to guide him back to the ballroom. Once they got back, another brunet boy approached with a mask themed around clout glasses, George.

“I can take him from you, we rode here together.”

“You sure, I don’t mind helping him get back to your ride if you need it.” As he said this, Karl seemed to burrow impossibly further into Sapnap’s side. George giggled in response to Karl’s sleepy behavior.

“I can take him, I have to tease him about this anyway.” George helped Sapnap transfer sleepy Karl onto him instead.

“Thanks for taking care of him, I’m 404, you?”

“Ah, of course, I’m Sapnap.” The two awkwardly shake hands then just stand there for a second.

“Alright, then I’ve got to go…” Sapnap awkwardly told George.

“Right, I’ll tell my friend here you said goodnight, as he’s asleep by now and probably won’t remember this. He’s on an energy drink crash now, so sorry about that.” Karl barely registered the exchange before the two strangers finally parted ways, each going home.

\- - -

“So Karl… you never told me about your date last night, hm? Care to tell me?” George casually brought up the next day, as he and Karl sat in Karl’s room attempting to paint their nails, though George seemed to have given up on that and left Karl to do it alone, to neither of their surprise.

Karl sputtered and turned red, accidentally almost knocking over his nail polish bottle in embarrassment and surprise.

“It literally wasn’t a date it was like- what you were supposed to do and stuff.” George laughed at that, harder than he should’ve.

“Alright, ok, but either way I’m meeting up with Nick and Clay later to talk about it, if you want to come and dish about your totally-not-date night, you’re invited.”

Karl smiled at the invitation. “I wish I could, but unfortunately I’ve got family stuff this afternoon, sorry dude. I can dish to you if you want,” Karl said, with a laugh that doubled at George’s enthusiastic nodding in response.

“Well I was standing in the corner-”

“-Moping in the corner-”

“Do you want to hear the story or tell it?” He glared playfully at his friend who pressed his lips together in a show of silence. “Good, back to my story.”

“So I was standing in the corner, contemplating why I came, when a handsome man came and offered me a drink and a dance. It felt like we had known each other forever, the world just sorta… fell away around us. He took me through the garden maze to a hidden cliff and we went stargazing and he gave me a flower crown that he made out of the flowers from the maze and it was all just perfect, it felt like we were meant to be around each other. That sounds so sappy wow-” He ended the summary with an awkward laugh. George was silent for a few moments before finally speaking up.

“Simp.”

Karl blinked at him in disbelief.

“Well jeez, tell me about your night then and I’m sure you were much better.” George flushed red and shook his head.

“Later.” Was all he replied, before checking his phone. “Oh shoot, sorry Karl, I’ve got to meet up with Clay and Nick now, sorry to cut this short!”

Karl just shook his head and told him to go with a smile.

\- - -

After that day, Karl had a hard time seeing George again, the older man ignoring and avoiding him like nobody’s business, and he wouldn’t even tell him why.

He had to admit, it hurt to be ignored by his best friend, especially when he didn’t even know what he did wrong, since last time he and George hung out everything went well.

He couldn’t even go ask the boy what he did wrong himself since George was always either in Muffinalvania or Essempia and Karl could rarely leave the Beastarean Empire because of his busy schedule. With George not talking to him he felt lonelier than ever. His family was great, but he wanted to talk to his friends too.

A week later, without George, Karl found himself just sitting in his room, scrolling through social media on his phone. He smiled upon seeing an article about the masquerade, written about Prince Nick’s experience of it. Apparently, the prince had quite the time with his date for the night. There was a link to the prince’s social medias at the bottom of the page and Karl, with nothing better to do, decided to browse the pages.

Going to his twitter, he found only a vague tweet referencing the night, mentioning going on a walk. It didn’t interest him much, so he moved to the next platform. Facebook and Snapchat both had nothing, snapchat not having a post feature and Facebook being untouched for multiple years, but of all the social medias he went through, it was the last one that made Karl’s breath catch.

Instagram’s post was a professional-looking picture of the clearing Karl spent his night in, but replacing the boys that occupied it most of the night were two flowers, one in a dark purple and one in a fiery red-orange. The caption a single line:

_'“Would you like a drink?”'_

Karl blinked at his phone a few times before marking the similarity to his own night as mere coincidence, and resolving to get off of his phone for the time being.

Just before he put the device on its charger, a text came through from George and Karl hurried to click it, excited to finally get contact from his best friend, smiling at the familiar joke that was his contact name.

**GeorgeNotFound**

**-come find me at the mask**   
**-burning festival-**

The vague message made Karl nervous. After a week of radio silence, that’s all he gets? A message to meet his friend at a festival everyone would be at already?

The mask burning festival was a big deal, everyone who attended the masquerade was required to go so everyone could burn their masks and return their magic to the universe. For many it was their last effort to find their night’s companion.

With a frustrated groan, Karl flopped onto his bed, draping his arm over his face dramatically.

“I forgot about the mask burning festival.”

Karl didn’t want to burn his mask, it was the only permanent thing he had from the night. Sure, he had the beautiful flower crown, but the flowers would soon wilt and die, leaving him with nothing to remember the magical time he had.

Far too soon, his phone alarm was ringing to tell him to get ready for the festival, when that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Regardless of his wants, he knew he had to attend, so he sluggishly pulled himself out of bed and over to his closet where he took out his favorite hoodie. The festival wasn’t formal, so wearing his colorful outfit won’t get him in any trouble.

After he finished getting dressed and accessorizing with a but of jewelry, he gingerly picked up his mask, gently tracing the surface of it before he put it in his bag to carry.

The sound of a bell rang through his family’s castle and he made his way downstairs to the main hall where everyone was no doubt waiting.

\- - -

This festival had been going an hour and Karl had yet to spot George in the crowd. He was about to go dump his mask and leave when he heard a loud voice call his name.

Looking for the person who called him, he spots George’s friend Clay waving him over. Figuring George is with his friend, Karl makes his way to them.

Upon making it over, he finds Clay joined by both George and Nick, the three all carrying a bag that presumably held their masks.

“Hello!” Karl greeted them all cheerfully. “George, good to finally see you again.” With these words he gave his friend a glare. George’s only response was a smile.

“Yes hello Karl! Would you like to burn masks with us?” His friend cheerily inquired.

Slightly confused, Karl nodded.

“Sure?” Karl was comforted by the fact that everyone else was looking at George oddly as well.

The group approached the front of the crowd, finally standing in front of the huge magical bonfire. Everyone opened their bags to remove the masks to burn and George started the count.

“On three. One… Two… Three.”

With the finishing number, they all pulled out their masks. George’s familiar clout goggles mask, Clay’s white full-face mask with a smile, sharing resemblance to the mask of the man Karl saw George dancing with, and Nick’s mask.

Karl’s heart stopped at it. Nick’s mask was white and smooth, like porcelain, it looked like it would cover from the bridge of his nose and above. On it, there was a delicate golden design that was barely visible unless caught by the light just right, and lord help him, Karl knew that mask.

“Karl?” Clay called the boy’s name, catching his shocked frozen expression. George and Nick both looked over at him as well, Nick gaining a similar expression at the sight.

“Sapnap?” It was almost a whisper.

“Jacobs…” He sounded more sure.

They stared at the other, entranced, and the world fell away once again. It was just them, no masks keeping them separate.

Karl saw a familiar smirk cross Nick’s, Sapnap’s, face, and felt a heat rise to his face. The masks dropped to the ground, no longer a thought in either boy’s mind. Sapnap brought a hand to Karl’s face, the other holding his hip, and he leaned in and Karl let his eyes flutter shut-

Suddenly everything felt right. Karl had Sapnap’s lips against his, he knew Sapnap for real, outside of some stupid ball and mask, he was real. Their lips moved in sync with one another, in a practiced art, like they had done this a million times. Sapnap’s lips were warm and chapped, they felt rough pressed against Karl’s own, it was a feeling he’d never forget. He wanted to keep kissing Nick forever, it was addicting and everything he needed.

Distantly, an awkward cough sounded and reality came crashing back onto the two. They pulled apart, both flushed a dark red, and looked to George and Clay, both awkwardly standing there. Sapnap scowled at them.

“Oh boohoo, like you didn’t do the same a week ago after we shared our stories,” he grumbled at them, still scowling.

The rest of the night was perfect. Karl burned his mask with no hesitation, he already had his perfect reminder of the magical night forever, so he didn’t need it. George pulled his aside to explain that he was sorry for ghosting him, but when he heard Nick’s story and realized it was the same as Karl’s, he didn’t know what to do and ran away from them both to avoid saying anything. He wanted them to figure it out themselves. Karl simply laughed it off.

It didn’t matter to him.

All that mattered was that everything worked out perfectly, and he and Sapnap found each other again.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah that's the story! I might write a second chapter from Sapnap's point of view later on, or a companion dnf story from George's point of view, but idk so yeah-


End file.
